Spark-plug.



UNITED STATE@ PATENT @FFME HERMAN G. HORNING, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

spank-PLUG.

Application led March 6, 1917.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN G. HORNING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, lborough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Spark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to spark plugs having a plurality of spark gaps, and its object is to provide a new' and yimproved spark plug arranged to permit of Conveniently ad'- justing the sparking elements to provide a larger or a'shorter spark gap to suit existing conditions, and to reduce to a minimum the clogging up of the sparking elements by carbon deposits and other extraneous matter.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of two conductors each provided with a plurality of sparking members arranged in a circle and spaced equal distances apart, the sparking members of the conductors being arranged in alternate relation to form spark gaps between adjacent sparking members, at least, one of the said conductors being rotatable relative to the other to ad just the sparking members nearer to or farther from the sparking members of the other conductor to correspondingly reduce or increase the spark gaps.

A practical embodiment of the invention.

is represented in the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi.- cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the spark Plug-s Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section of the same;

Figs. 3 and 4 are side'elevations of the sparking members; A

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the inner portion of a spark plug provided with a modified form of insulation;

F ig. 6 is a central section of another modilied form of the spark plug;

Fig. 7 xis a side elevation of the inner portion of another modified form of the spark plug; and

Fig. 8 is an inverted form of the same.

Specification of Letteraatent.

Iatentedv July 16, 1918.

`Serial No. 152,749.

Thelbody 10 of the spark plug is provided with the usual Ythreaded portion 11 adapted to screw into the usual ltapped hole of the cylinder of the engine, and the upper end of the body 10 is in the form of a polygonal head 12 adapted to be engaged by a wrench or other tool for screwing the spark plug in position on the cylinder or unscrewing it therefrom. The body 10 is provided with two concentric bores 13 and 14 into which iit correspondingly shaped inner and intermediate portions 15 and 16 of a core 17 made of porcelain or a similar insulating material.

The core 17 is provided with a central aperture 18 through which extends a conductor 19 in the form of a rod provided at its inner end with a head 20. A sparking member 2l is held on the inner end of the conductor 19 and rests on the head 20, and the peripheral edge of the sparking member 21 is provided with angular members 22, preferably triangular in shape, and spaced equal distances apart, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and hl. The triangular members 22 alternate with Similar members 23 of a ringfshaped sparking member 24C having a hub 25 litting into the inner end of the bore 13 and abutting against the inner end of the core 17, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. A washer 26 is interposed between thering-shaped member 21 and the inner end of the body 10. It will be noticed that the triangular members 22 and 28 are spaced apart and are arranged in alternate relation with the opposite sides of adjacent members 22 and 23 approximately parallel to proyide a spark gap between adjacent members1 By turning the disk 21 its members 22 can be moved nearer to or farther from the corresponding members 23 ofthe, ringshaped member 24 to correspondingly decrease or increase the spark gaps.

In order to properly insulate the sparking members 22 and 23 from each other, the following arrangement is made: A tubular insulating material 30, preferably of cylindrical layers of mica, lits on the inner end portion of the conductor 19 and rests at its inner end on the disk while the outer por-v tion fits into a counterbore Jformed centrally in the core 17. A washer 32 of asbestos or similar material rests on the disk 21'and on this washer 32 rests a ring 33 of porcelain, and on the outer face of this ring rests a washer 34 of asbestos. The washer 34 abuts against the inner face of the ringed s arkiiw' member 24. The washers sh 3 34 and the ring 33 are overlaid at their vperipheral faces by the corresponding sparking me'mbers 22 and 23 to properly insulate the s'ame from each other and at the sametilne prevent adherence of carbon deposits and other extraneous matter. The spark plug is usually used with its axis in a vertical position, and soot or other extraneous matter is not liable to adhere to the sparking members 22, 23 owing to their inclined sides and such matter cannot lod e under the lsaid sparking members as they t snugly onto the peripheral face of the insulation vformed of the washers 3 2, 34 and the ring the body 10y and to allow of adjusting the sparking members 22 relative to the spark-l ing members 23, the following arrangement is made: The conductor 19 is engaged by a ber washer resting-on the outer end of the core 17, and on this washer abuts a spring washer 41 against which screws a nut 42 screwing on the outer end of the conductor 19, thus on screwing up the nut 42 the head 20 draws the disk 21 and the insulation formed of the washers 32, 34 and the ring 33 against a ring-shaped sparking member 34 whereby the washer 26 is pressed firmly against the inner face of the body 10. When it is desired to adjust the sparking members 22 nearer to or farther from the sparking members 23, it is only necessary for the operator to partly unscrew thev nut 42 to allow of turning the .disk 21 with a view to move the 'sparking members 22 nearer to or farther from the sparking members 23. After the desired adjustment is made the nut 42 is screwed up to securely fasten'the several parts in position on the body 10, as above explained. On the outer threaded end of the conductor 19 screws the usual clamping nut 43 for clamping the end of the circuit wire in position onthe nut 42.

In the modified form 'shown in Fig. 5,

`the core 50 for the rod conductor 51 is formed of layers of mical of which the innermost layer rests on the disk 21 and the outermost is engaged by the washer 40 (not shown), otherwise the construction relative to the sparking device is the same as above described relative to Figs. 1 and 2.

and other extraneous matter from the spark# ing members 6l and 62. The core 66 issimi# lar to the core 17 and likewise the means for fastening the parts together and securing the circuit wire in place so that further description of the same is not deemed neces-'- sary.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the disk 70 has its sparking members 71 in the plane of the disk instead of being upturned, as previously explained, but thesparkingmembers 70 operate in conjunction with the sparking members 72 similar to the sparking members .23 to provide the desired sparking gap between the members 71 and 72. The disk 7 0 rests on the head 73 of the A conductor rodl 19 while the ring-shaped member 74 carrying the sparking members 72 rests against the washer 75. abutting against the inner end of the body- 10, the

same as above described in reference .to

Figs. 1 and 2. The sparking members 72.

overlie the peripheral face of an insulation 7 64 restingon the disk 70.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In' a spark plug, two conductors, of which one is ring shaped and the other is in the form of a disk, each of saidrconductors having spaced triangular sparking 'members of which the sparklng members of the ring shaped conductor extend parallel to its axis, and the sparking lmembers of the said disk extend from the peripheral edge thereof, the said sparking members of the ltwo conductors being arranged alternately,

and a cylindrical insulating block disposed and completely filling the space within the lsaid ring shaped conductor and projecting therebeyond into engagementwith the disk, whereby to hold the said conductors in space relation by ydirect engagement with both thereof.

2. A spark plug, comprising a body, an

insulating core mounted within the said body and provided with a central opening, a rod conductor extending through the said opening, a disk mounted on the inner .end

of the said conductor and provided with .sparking members of triangular shape, a ring-shaped member fitting onto the inner end of the said body and provided with the said ring-shaped member, Asaid ringsparking members of triangular shape andJ shaped member having an inner gshouldered extending between the sparking members of portion engaging the opposite face of the l0 the Said disk, and 'a ring of insulating mainsulating ring whereby thelatter acts di- 5 terial mounted at its center on the said rod rectly against porti'onso'f said conductors to conductor7 said insulating ring having one hold the two conductors in spaced relation. 'face resting on the said disk and fitting into HERMAN G., HORNING. 

